Generally, a surface-mounting apparatus or a component-inspecting apparatus for electronic components comprises a head unit which is movable apart from a base by a given distance, and a suction-holding nozzle installed in the head unit, wherein the surface-mounting apparatus or the component-inspecting apparatus is adapted to transfer an electronic component to a target position while suction-holding the electronic component by the suction-holding nozzle. The head unit is provided with a component-recognizing apparatus for performing image recognition of suction-held conditions being suction-held by the suction-holding nozzle.
For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses an art designed for a component-recognizing apparatus in a surface-mounting apparatus to allow lower-surface image-sensing means to capture an image of a lower surface of an electronic component being suction-held by a suction-holding nozzle, wherein the component-recognizing apparatus comprises: a first optical path changing member operable to change a direction of light directed downwardly from a suction-holding nozzle to a direction directed laterally from beneath the suction-holding nozzle; a second optical path changing member operable to change further the light direction directed laterally; and illumination means provided beneath the first optical path changing member.
This component-recognizing apparatus is a mechanism advantageous in reducing a mounting time, because of its ability to perform component recognition in concurrence with an X-Y movement from a component pickup position to a mounting position.
Patent Document 1: JP 8-32299A